Quest for the Ark
By Sean Hayden Terrill
Quest for the Ark is a modern-day supernatural action-adventure.
It tells of the main character Zachariah Riley’s heroic journey of discovery—a tale of love, betrayal, danger, intrigue and inexplicable events.
Historical, Biblical and Aboriginal mythologies are cleverly melded, creating mystery and suspense as Zac follows his quest to find the Ark of the Covenant.
Written with the ring of truth, the story takes readers on an emotional and exhilarating journey, which is interwoven with factual historical events from ancient cultures. Readers are challenged to understand mystical events that seem to be mere coincidence.
Thinking he is loosing his mind, Zac embarks on a quest in which love, despair and conquering the deadliest enemy of humankind—fear—leads to the greatest discovery of all.
From the breaking waves of the New South Wales north coast to the perilous and unforgiving mountain ranges of the Kimberley, Zac searches for the truth as he crisscrosses the harsh Australian outback and is involved in a crumbling relationship with the woman he loves.
Narrowly escaping a great white shark attack while surfing early one morning at South Ballina on the New South Wales north coast, Zac, who is recently discharged from a hard-core military life, decides to move back to Tenterfield, his home town in the high country west of the Great Dividing Range.
Soon after arriving home, he begins Aboriginal cultural studies and discovers similarities between various ancient cultures recorded in their art and mythology.
After a disappointing reunion with his estranged father, Zac finds new friends and falls in love with Angel Freeman, a single mother with two young boys.
His journeys through the outback and his work on cattle stations place him in precarious situations in which he faces many challenges and has many close calls.
It’s during these challenging episodes that Zac’s army training, coupled with his bush skills, is a true blessing. He also has the friendship and invaluable help of Gingga, a wise and respected Aboriginal elder, who teaches Zac the ancient tribal ways.
As the story unfolds, Zac uncovers evidence of ancient intercontinental connections.
He draws upon remarkable cultural parallels and similarities between Egypt, Sumeria and Australia that posit undeniable evidence of cultural exchanges, and is spurred on to search for hidden treasure.
As he follows an information trail across the Australian continent, Zac questions his sanity as mystical events gain in momentum and intensity.
Through a twist of fate, he becomes immersed in the supernatural, but is guided by Gingga, who teaches him about dreamtime stories that, remarkably, confirm his quest.
After his close encounter with the great white shark, Zac has a similar experience with a crocodile. He and his vehicle are almost washed away in a flash flood, and he has an accident on the edge of a cliff, narrowly escaping plummeting to the rocks hundreds of meters below.
His discovery of ancient pyramid ruins in the remote outback is later supported by cave paintings and mythology, which hold pivotal keys in his making cultural connections and unlocking forgotten history. Close to the ruins, Zac finds fresh artefacts, indicating nomadic people are still living traditionally in the area.
Zac endures repeated cross-country missions to the ancient site, which is hidden in the most isolated and inhospitable part of the Australian continent. If he is bitten by a deadly snake or has an accident, he has no chance of getting help or medical assistance in a hurry.
In his most challenging mission, Zac’s all-terrain four-wheel-drive breaks down, forcing him to walk through the desert for three nights while suffering a serious leg injury. He almost dies of dehydration and from the bite of a deadly king brown snake. His physical pain, endurance and mental torment are palpable.
When Zac draws together all his information and evidence, he is confronted with compelling truth about the long-lost Ark of the Covenant—he has unearthed something that has enormous global complications.
Zac also finds his hidden treasure, and the story ends with a twist leaving readers to question, explore and research for themselves.
